Dear Lifehacker,
Desktop email clients like Sparrow and Postbox seem like they're breathing new life into desktop email, but I'd also heard that Thunderbird is going into "maintenance mode." It got me thinking: Should I be using a desktop email client? A lot of people I know just use webmail (specifically, Gmail), and seem very happy, but the desktop options are intriguing. How do I know which option is best for me?

Mozilla has announced that Thunderbird, our favorite email client for Windows and Linux, is going…
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Sincerely,
Stolen Thunder

Dear Stolen Thunder,
These are interesting times for email: there are more great tools to help you manage your email now than ever, possibly because we get more email today than we ever have in the past. Still, the core question is whether or not you should be using a desktop mail client, and the answer to that depends on you. Let's dive into who should be using a desktop client, what all the fuss around Thunderbird is, and what your desktop email options are.

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Which Is Better: A Desktop Client or Webmail?

If you're struggling with the "which is better" question, you'll find no definitive answers here, mostly because, there is no definitive answer. For some users, a desktop client will run rings around webmail any day of the week. For others, a desktop client is unnecessary and limiting compared to webmail. Which is best depends entirely on you. Here are some factors to keep in mind for deciding which is best in your case.

A Desktop Email Client May Be Best For You If:

You have multiple email addresses with different domains, and enjoy checking, reading, and responding from each one as each address, all in one place.

You need access to email offline.

You prefer to back up your mail regularly, or have limited storage with your email provider.

You use security features like digital signing, public key infrastructure (PKI), or encryption.

You use advanced mail rules and filtering based on multiple factors (words, senders, subjects, headers, etc.)

Your email provider's webmail client sucks, or is non-existent.

Your email provider uses Microsoft Exchange or another mail solution with special perks for desktop users.

You enjoy integration with desktop apps like Dropbox, Cloudapp, your calendar, or other tools.

Webmail May Be Best For You If:

You prefer a single, unified inbox of all of your accounts.

You only have a few email accounts anyway, and you prefer to forward them all to one inbox.

You feel more secure keeping your mail off of your computer and all-online.

You prefer to keep all of your mail rules and filtering on the mail server, as opposed to running them on your desktop.

There's room for cross-pollination here, so if you match some things in both groups, think about which one you identify most closely with. Don't forget to weigh your personal preference. Like we said, there's no right answer for everyone, but there's a right answer for you, and you should use what suits you best—and of course, what you enjoy.

So Is Thunderbird Dead or Not?

Mozilla's announcement that they would be suspending active development on Thunderbird and focusing only on stability and security certainly caused a stir. Mozilla tried to clarify that their defintion of "dead" is different from everyone else's, but the fact remains: We shouldn't expect to see much in the way of major feature or interface uplifts, but it doesn't necessarily mean the product is dead. We actually asked whether Thunderbird was dead over three years ago, and here we are today—it's still alive and kicking. So don't count the app down just yet.

Mozilla has announced that Thunderbird, our favorite email client for Windows and Linux, is going…
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Remember, Thunderbird is open source, so it'll never be truly dead as long as there are developers out there who love it. In fact, Postbox is based on Thunderbird's source, so in ways, it'll live on through Postbox (which, however, is not open source). Plus, if you love Thunderbird the way it is now, there's no reason to stop using it: it'll still get patched for security, and you don't have to worry about feature creep or unwanted bloat in future updates. That said, if you were sitting back hoping great add-ons like my favorite, Thunderbird Conversations would be integrated with Thunderbird, or that it would get proper Exchange support, or a better contact manager, you're out of luck.

Mac/Windows/Linux: It's been a while since we discussed Thunderbird Conversations, but the…
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If you love Thunderbird, stick with it, but there's no harm in looking at alternatives. After all, you don't want to be that person using an ancient email client just because it's what you've always used—you know, like that guy still using Eudora or Incredimail when there are better, well-supported options out there.

What Are The Alternatives?

There are dozens, probably hundreds, of desktop email clients out there, but if you're looking specifically for a good, Thunderbird-like option, you do have a few that rise above the pack, and won't cost you a ton of money (we're looking at you, Microsoft Outlook.)

Webmail: Of course, you can always make this switch to webmail if you've been looking for an opportunity and the reasons above mesh well with you. However, if you're a die-hard desktop user, even Gmail's advanced features may leave you a little wanting. Still, check out your email provider's web client. You may find you like it.

Sparrow: If you're a Mac user and appreciate a lightweight, flexible, but still functional email client, Sparrow has all but redefined the category. It's our favorite email client for the Mac, also offers stellar Gmail support, can switch to traditional or minimal views so you can keep an eye on it or work undisturbed, and supports Dropbox and Cloudapp. It's free with ads, but $10 frees you of them.

There are others, of course, like Windows Live Mail, Mail.app, or Opera Mail (which adds email functionality to the Opera browser). If you need Exchange support, you're probably going with Windows Live Mail or Outlook. Even so, for an experience like—or in some ways better—than Thunderbird, these are your best options.

So How Do I Choose?

Even if you use webmail from time to time, or use webmail in addition to a desktop client, many of us are still using desktop apps to manage email, and those apps are only getting better, faster, and more feature-rich. Make no mistake, there's a lot to love about webmail and some people should definitely switch to it and never look back, but apps like Sparrow and Postbox wouldn't thrive (and be willing to charge for their products) if the environment weren't conducive to it.

Personally, I use a combination of Gmail webmail and Thunderbird every day for the seven or so email accounts I manage, and without a desktop client it would be impossible to keep them all clean and tidy without the flexibility to respond as each account, move mail between them quickly, and tailor my notifications so I only see what's important. What's right for me may not be right for you though, Stolen Thunder, so weigh your choices, try a few different alternatives, and then decide whether you want to move to webmail, use a new app, or stick with Thunderbird right now, and write us back to let us know what you decided!